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The Biggest Benefit of Church Associations — 2 Corinthians 1:11

Sam Renihan · 2025-05-03 · 483 words · 3 min

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Summary

Expository

The most fundamental benefit churches receive from formal association with one another is the commitment to mutual intercessory prayer, which enables real help even across geographic distance.

Church associations among Reformed Baptist congregations find their deepest rationale not in organizational efficiency but in the mutual burden-bearing and intercessory prayer that Scripture commands. Drawing on 2 Corinthians 1:11 and Colossians 4:12, this address argues that prayer is the primary and most transferable form of help one congregation can render another, even across great distances. The sermon proper expounds Psalm 131 as the theological and devotional ground for the humility that makes genuine association life possible.

Key quotes

Those regular meetings become a platform, a relationship within which the more serious things can take place both positively in cooperative efforts and negatively when one church has serious issues and needs help and they know whom they can trust and who will help them.
Paul says, 'Help us by prayer.' We pray for your churches in Canada and we would ask you to pray for us.
Epaphras isn't there, but he can still struggle for the Colossians from wherever he is through prayer.

Applications

  1. Commit to regular, earnest prayer for the specific churches in your association by name, even those you rarely see.
  2. Receive the prayers of sister churches as a real and weighty form of help, not a lesser substitute for physical presence.
  3. Do not wait for a crisis to value association relationships — maintain the regular meetings that build the trust needed when serious needs arise.

Questions this sermon answers

What is the purpose of a church association?

A church association creates an established relationship and platform of trust so that churches can cooperate in positive endeavors and support one another through serious difficulties when they arise.

How can a church help another church it rarely sees?

Even across great geographic distance, one church can help another through consistent, earnest intercessory prayer, which is the form of help Paul himself requested from the Corinthians.

What does Colossians 4:12 teach about praying for other churches?

Epaphras, though physically absent from Colossae, was always struggling in prayer on the church's behalf — modeling how distance is no barrier to genuine intercessory labor for sister congregations.

Good evening.

Introduction

The text for this evening will be Psalm 131, but don't turn there just yet. If you would please first turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. I felt uh very honored or privileged to be present for the signing of the founding documents for the association that's recently been formed here in Western Canada. Our church, Trinity Reformed Baptist Church, from on whose behalf I bring you greetings.

We pray regularly uh for the association churches here in Western Canada. We we prayed for you before you were an association, but now all the more as an association. And as many of you will know, our church is also part of a local or regional association. And I've been a a pastor in an association church for some years.

And I I know personally the benefit and the joy and the blessing that it is and can be. It doesn't always seem so exciting. Sometimes regular meetings are quite simple and sound very much like the last one you had and the next one you had. But those regular meetings become a platform, a relationship within which the more serious things can take place both posit positively in cooperative e efforts and negatively when one church has serious issues and needs help and they know whom they can trust and who will help them.

So I want to encourage you in what you have begun that you would continue it and rejoice in what the Lord has given to you. In in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 11, Paul says, "

Prayer as Mutual Help

You also must help us by prayer." In our local association in Southern California, some of the churches, we're we're blessed to be very local, but some of the churches are still three hours away from each other. and I feel like I don't see them as often and I feel like I don't help them very much. Not that they need my help, but I feel like what what are we doing for them? And it's passages like this that encourage me. Paul says, "Help us by prayer." We pray for your churches in Canada and we would ask you to pray for us.

You can help your sister churches here and you can help other churches simply by striving with the Lord in prayer on their behalf. And turn over to Colossians 4:12. In Colossians 4:12, Paul says, "

Struggling in Prayer for Sister Churches

Eperris, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers." If he's sending greetings, he's not with them right now. Apaffris isn't there, but he can still struggle for the Colossians from wherever he is through prayer. So, please be assured of our prayers, our struggling for you, our helping you to use the language of 2 Corinthians. And we would ask you to do the same for

Scripture References

Study notes

Theological terms

  • Church Association×5
  • Intercessory Prayer×4

Audience

  • pastors
  • elders